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Re: Pollination prices

About almond prices...that's because speculation runs the gamete on them and really are meaningless in the sense that most of us are already in contracts for a certain price. Those speculating on the prices are those that don't have contracts left and are almond growers who waited till the last minute to try and see if the prices would drop and now are running crazy trying to fill their needs. Contract prices run from $100 to ?? depending on frame strength and such.

If anyone needs to put their bees in Almonds I suggest Tom L. on this forum. He is a decent guy who will take care of your bees and you won't have to worry about getting paid.

Re: Pollination prices

Do you ever get any honey on the cranberry pollination? I do some here and usually nothing. It coincides with our main honeyflow, but too many hives around and not enough forage.

Jean-Marc

Not that i can tell is from the crans. There is plenty of forage around the beds. The hives usually stay there until time to move south. But not next year. It got too muddy when it was time to move them for going south.

Re: Pollination prices

I noticed... I figure they're just scared of being undercut. I can understand that. I for one, have no interest in undercutting anyone. It's never been my goal to work just as hard but get paid less than anyone else. I'd rather charge a fair price that borders on being too high. If I miss out on a contract or ten, that's ok with me. I wouldn't want those contracts from growers that have too little respect for the services we provide to pay a fair price anyway. In my opinion, those are likely to be the same growers that would try to cheat you out of what little they did agree to pay you anyway. Who needs the hassle of dealing with that?

Re: Pollination prices

Originally Posted by pahvantpiper

Skinner, you want almond prices? My contract is $125.00 for 8 frames with a bonus for more frames and a deduction for less.

I see Rob told his but I figure most will not say anything because of the competition and probably a wider pay range over there, you might be safer asking if any of them if they know what the average price for the contract holding beeks?

Re: Pollination prices

You do know averages need data to be accurate. If noone's talking then how can they find the average? Actually if I could gather, confidentially, accurate data, I could have a mean, and ask commercials what the "average" price is and do a chi square test to quantitatively tell you how far they're off, and if anyone even knows.
In short, I think it's just about not spouting off pollination prices, and I agree possibly competetion.
125 sounds Ok. Long time contracts, or brokers?

Re: Pollination prices

I'll go ahead and spill my beans, I'm charging 120.00 a hive with 8-12 frame (average) to an almond grower who is also a good buddy, a fellow beekeeper i know is charging 130-140 depending on condition of hive's, last year i got 35.oo a hive for mellons and went in with spring splits averaging 5-8 frames could have gotten more money but had the parent hives in the mountains and didn't want to move them, the grower was late getting bee's but was happy with what he got

Re: Pollination prices

Mike T.,
Gene Brandi has been saying he has been seeing problems in melons treated with neonicotinoids.
What have you seen or heard?
I was told a few years ago if stopped at the bug stations for Small hive beetle you could enter Madera county if you agreed to treat for beetles. True?
Is Kermin in Madera county?